Footings & Ground Slabs

The footings and slabs are the most important structure as the whole building is supported on them. If the footings and slabs are not designed correctly, the structure may experience movement or failure. SNG Engineers ensure that the footings and slabs are designed to current Australian standards considering all the factors that may affect the structure.

At SNG Engineers we ensure that the foundations are designed most economically without compromising the structural integrity of the building. There are several different types of foundations for different types of structures.

Mainly for residential projects such as a single-detached house, townhouses or extensions, the Australian Standards AS-2870 have guidelines for the design of footings and slabs depending on the site classification report. However, sometimes due to limitations of the code, special engineering judgement is required by the structural engineer to design the correct foundation systems.

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  • waffle pod
  • conventional raft slab
  • pile foundations
  • conventional raft slab

Types of Footings & Ground Slabs Services Provided By SNG Engineers

CONVENTIONAL FOOTINGS & SLABS

Conventional footings and slabs generally comprise of edge thickening (edge beam) around the perimeter of the house slab and internal thickenings (internal beams) with a 100mm thick slab. The depth of the thickenings and slab depends on the site classification report to make the slab stiffer if required for highly reactive soil type. This type of construction is the oldest, robust and mostly used type by the builders.

WAFFLE POD FOOTINGS & SLABS

The waffle pod system comprises of polystyrene pods of 1100mm square placed in such a way that it forms a series of internal ribs (beams) 110mm wide internally and has an edge thickening around the perimeter of the slab with 85mm thick slab. The depth of the pods depends on the site classification report. This type of system is economical, faster and widely used for new homes.

COLUMN FOOTINGS

Several raise and build projects require a foundation for the steel columns only. The column footings generally comprise of bored pier footings with embedded steel columns at a certain spacing depending on the floor framing layout. These types of footing system are widely used for suspended timber and steel frame structures where the ground is uneven or the habitable floor may have to be raised due to flood levels.

BORED PIER OR BACKHOE (BUCKET) PIER FOOTINGS

In several occasions, the footings and slabs require additional stiffness due to either low bearing of the soil, large mature trees present in the vicinity of the building, due to the presence of weathered rock etc. In these occasions, SNG Engineers ensure that the bored pier footings are designed to meet the requirement according to the site classification report.

PAD FOOTINGS

The Pad footings are isolated footings that support a column or brick pier. In some cases, the pad footings are tied to ground beams to make them stiffer.

SCREW PILES

Screw piles are used as an alternative for bored piers. Bored piers may not work in all situations such as collapsing sand. In such situations, screw piles are used as an effective alternative to boring pier footings. Screw piers are faster to install and economical as compared to bored piers, but it may corrode over a period and may lose its structural integrity.